Because I Love You
by Purple Handprint
Summary: Luffy acts impulsively, forcing a conflicted Nami to figure out her feelings toward her captain.
1. That Reminds Me…

The clear, blue water swished against the sides of the Thousand Sunny, its skull-bearing sails flapping gently in the warm breeze. The Straw Hat crew was sprawled out around the deck, each busy with a quiet task. A faint snoring could be heard from the deck as a muscular swordsman laid on the floor, the mint-colored hair on his head comfortably resting in his calloused hands. A long-nosed man tinkered with his slingshot, the small bag at his waist emitting a metallic clinking sound as the marbles inside it smashed against each other. Short huffs of smoke dispersed from the mouth of a suit-clad young man, and a skeleton could be heard humming a soothing tune, tapping a bony finger against his thigh in a slow tempo. Every so often, the turning of aged paper or the sipping of bitter coffee would join the noise, the cause of these actions propped on a lounge chair, quietly reading from a worn book. A small furry reindeer was busy mixing medicine while the younger female of the crew carefully inked a finished draft of a map, the sturdy paper fastened to a table with heavy paperweights. The cyborg was repairing a small imperfection with the wall, the dull impact of the hammer against the nail echoing rhythmically. Even the usually boisterous captain was contributing to the unusually calm atmosphere on the ship. Sitting cross-legged on the brightly painted lion head, he stared out at the open sea, deep in thought.

"Hey, guys," Luffy suddenly uttered, interrupting the silence.

"Hm?" Nami murmured lazily, her interest still focused on her map. The rest of the crew listened, half-interested, with the exception of Zoro, whose slumber could not be broken by mere conversation.

Luffy turned to face his comrades. "Ever wonder what'll happen after we achieve our dreams?"

Nami gave a small curved stroke to her paper before shifting her attention toward her captain. "Why do you ask?"

"Ah, well, you know. I was just thinking, are we gonna sail around as pirates forever?" Luffy paused as he recalled some of his crew's pasts. "Most of you guys have people who care about you back home."

Nami was a little surprised at the question. It wasn't like Luffy to be thinking about things like this. She assumed his thoughts were more along the lines of "hooray, adventure!"

"I've... never really thought about that," Nami admitted. True, she did want to see Genzo and Nojiko and everyone else again, but she just couldn't imagine life without the Straw Hat Pirates.

"We'd have to visit everyone first," she said after a little contemplation. "Vivi and the others."

"That would be awkward." Luffy and Nami turned to face Robin, who was casually flipping through her book. "And I don't have a home to go back to."

"Right..." Nami scratched the back of her head, slightly embarrassed.

"I want to see Kaya again," Usopp piped up. Blushing, he quickly added, "A-And the rest of Syrup Village!"

"Yeah. See?" Luffy acknowledged. "Are we just gonna visit them?"

"You and Kaya have feelings for each other," Nami stated to Usopp matter-of-factly. "You both are probably going to end up getting married and make babies together or something."

"W-What?" Usopp stammered, dropping the bag of ammunition he was holding. He frantically grabbed at the spilled bearings, but his hands were trembling too much to successfully snatch any up. "W-what are you t-talking about, Nami?"

Nami rolled her eyes. "Don't act so innocent. Pretty much everyone knows."

"Nami-san's right." Sanji breathed out another puff of smoke before turning to face the increasingly red-faced boy. "I've never even met her, and even I can tell."

"H-Huh?" Usopp sputtered. "How is that even possible? N-not that it's true, of course."

"You talk about her all the time." Sanji smirked. "It's pretty damn obvious."

"Yosh! So Usopp'll marry Kaya!" Luffy concluded triumphantly. "Are you gonna stay at home with her, or is she sailing with us?"

"W-What?" Usopp stared at Luffy with widened eyes. "When did I agree to m-marry her?"

"Just now. You said so yourself." Luffy stretched his nose out and with a cracked voice, proudly declared, "'I'm going to marry Kaya.'"

"Ehhhhh?" Chopper's eyes bugged out at the mention of his idol's supposed words. "Is this true, Usopp? Are you really getting married?"

"THAT NEVER HAPPENED!" Usopp yelled, his face contorted in annoyance. Luffy only gave a confused "It didn't?" in response.

"But Luffy's right," Robin remarked. "Some of us may choose to settle down in the future. If this were to happen, what would become of the crew?"

"Nami-swaaan!" Sanji clasped his hands together, hips swinging ridiculously from side to side. His voice now high-pitched and dopey, he desperately called out to the object of his affection, "Once we get married, we'll stay on the ship, riiiight?"

"LIKE HELL!" Nami fumed, not unexpectedly. Two years ago, there would have been a large lump on top of the chef's head. Luckily for him, Nami had learned to restrain herself during their time apart. Instead of physical harm, she started to angrily berate the still cluelessly love-struck man.

Treating Nami's venomous words as background noise, Robin continued to discuss the topic at hand. "I don't think I would actually ever marry or start a family, so I'm satisfied with sailing around. However..." Robin trailed off for a few seconds in thought, before speaking again. "Unless all relationships are kept within the crew, we are bound to lose some crew members."

Nami, who had been listening, stopped her fervent yelling and asked, "But Robin, how are we going to have time to meet people outside the crew? I don't think we'll stay long enough at any island to even date someone, let alone fall in love."

"Haven't you heard?" Robin cocked her head, flashing Nami a small, closed smile. "Love is like a hurricane."

At this, Luffy frowned, a puzzled look on his face.

Sanji's reaction was considerably different than Luffy's. Instead, he characteristically screamed, "ROBIN-CHWAAAAAAN", and loudly announced how romantic and lovely she was.

As Sanji prattled on about love, Zoro's eyes slowly opened, groggily refocusing the bleary images before them. The peaceful look on his previously asleep self was quickly replaced by one etched with irritation once his ears picked up on Sanji's rambling. Grumbling, Zoro automatically grabbed the swords by his side. "Damn dartboard-eyebrow," he growled.

"OI! LOVE COOK! SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Sanji stopped twirling, irked by the sound of_ that shitty idiot_'s voice. Cigarette chomped between his teeth, he glowered at the swordsman and hissed, "What did you say, you shitty marimo?"

"I SAID, 'SHUT THE HELL UP!'" Zoro barked back, drawing his swords. "No one's interested in your damn pervertedness!"

Without warning, Sanji dove at Zoro with an extended foot. A swift kick came into contact with a sword, as Zoro reflexively countered the move. A regular hate-filled sparring match ensued.

Suddenly, Luffy reached out to tap on the shoulder of his archaeologist. "Hey, Robin, what you just said... about the love hurricane..." Luffy's thoughtful expression transformed into a huge smile. "That's what Hancock always said to me!"

"Hancock?" Robin asked, somewhat taken aback. "Boa Hancock? The pirate empress of Amazon Lily?"

"Yeah. She kept asking to marry me," Luffy replied nonchalantly.

The chaotic noise on the ship immediately stopped. Nami, Chopper, and Usopp wordlessly gaped at their captain, jaws extended past what was humanly possible. Franky mumbled a breathless "super..." and Brook followed suit with his own "yohohohoho". Zoro quirked an eyebrow, swords frozen in place against Sanji's shoe while Robin simply stared in her usual amused manner. Sanji lowered his foot. Tears streaming from his eyes, he gave quiet grunts of despair before sobbing hopelessly.

"LUFFY! YOU BASTARD!" He ran and grabbed the young man's shirt with both of his hands, jerking Luffy's body violently with each word he said. "Were you even training? HUH? The most beautiful woman in the world, MARRYING _YOU_? What have you been doing these past two years, Luffy? Seducing ladies who have never seen a man in their life? HOW COULD YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM?"

"Hey, Sanji, what are you-"

"And I was stuck in the land of transvestites! _MALE_ TRANSVESTITES. Do you know what that's like, Luffy? NO. YOU DON'T. IT'S _HELL_. No. Women. At. All. And there you were, _you lucky bastard_, with all the ladies you could ever want."

"Sanji-"

"SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES. IS SHE PREGNANT, LUFFY? HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU HAVE? TELL ME."

"Sanji-kun." The voice belonged to Nami this time. "I think you're overreacting. I doubt Luffy even knows where children come from."

Sanji loosened his grip on Luffy's shirt. "Ah, Nami-san. You're right." He released Luffy, popping another cigarette in his mouth. Whipping out the lighter from his pocket, Sanji flicked on the flame and brought it to his mouth.

"I don't have any kids," Luffy clarified. "Why would I?"

"I guess I should explain. I wouldn't want anything unwanted happening to such a fair maiden. You see, when a man and a woman love each other very much... No wait, I guess I should start with the birds and bees. You know how bees pollinate flowers? This is kind of like-"

"Birds? Bees? Flowers?" Luffy interrupted Sanji and gave him a serious look. "Are you an idiot?"

Sanji flared up, connecting his foot to Luffy's head. "YOU'RE THE IDIOT!"

"I know how babies are made," Luffy informed him. "I didn't do anything like that." Luffy paused, remembering an event that had taken place while he was at Amazon Lily. "Well, she was naked, but-"

Sanji found himself choking at the mention of the naked empress. "W-What? Did you just say that... that _goddess_... was _naked_?" His mind began to fill with impure thoughts.

"She was taking a bath, and I needed to talk to her to find a ship, so-"

"Y-You bastard!" Sanji gave a hard, unforgiving kick to Luffy's gut that knocked him to the wooden floor. "How dare you sneak up on a lady during a bath!"

"But you peeked at Nami and Vivi last time!" Luffy whined.

Without warning, blood began gushing from the cook's nostrils. Sanji's brain couldn't help but bring the explicit memory to surface. When it came to beautiful ladies, Sanji could recall every last detail of their bodies. Nami was no exception. He remembered as she informed them of the cost of the sight he was about to witness. Her words resonated in his head. _"Happiness... Punch!" _The curves of her body pounded in his brain, and Sanji found himself getting dizzy. His knees began to weaken, and his body fell limp. As the glorious scene unfolded in his head, his vision faded to white.

And with one last explosive burst of crimson, Sanji fell to the floor. "M-Mellorine..."

"AAAAAAAAAH!" Chopper screamed. "SANJI!" Chopper quickly attended to the twitching, bleeding, fallen mess. "What happened? I thought the nosebleed episodes had stopped!"

Sanji could only mumble blissfully in response.

"Dammit!" Franky wailed and gingerly scooped the blonde's body up from the floor. "You're gonna stain Sunny!"

"The clinic, Franky," Chopper commanded and scurried off to where his medical supplies and emergency stash of blood were located.

"Anyways..." Nami said, ignoring what had happened and deciding, instead, to focus on Luffy and his mysterious, supposed wife. "You're not married to this woman, right?"

"Nope."

"I thought so." Nami nodded, her eyes closed and arms crossed. "How did you reject her?"

"I said 'no'."

"I know that, but how exactly did you say it?"

"I just told you. I said 'no'."

"Are you telling me you just looked at her and told her 'no'?"

"Yeah."

"IDIOT!" While it was true that Nami had learned to calm herself down a bit during her time away from the crew, there were times where she just gave in to her violent tendencies. This was the case with Luffy. After a few seconds of fervent punching, slapping, and thrashing, Luffy's face was covered with giant, purple bumps.

"You don't just say 'no' when someone asks you to marry them!" Nami chastised after she had finished her beating. "It's so insensitive!"

"Th... Thowwy..." Luffy attempted to apologize. Unfortunately, the swelling on his face hindered his speech a little.

"Honestly..." Nami sighed, shaking her head. "You're unbelievable."

"What's more unbelievable is that someone fell in love with Luffy," Usopp replied.

"Usopp-san is harsh!" Brook rebuked. "Luffy-san is an amazing man!"

"Yes, whoever ends up marrying him would be a lucky woman," Robin agreed. "Though, I do admit I'm also curious as to why Boa Hancock, an empress and a member of the Shichibukai, fell for you. Did you save her life?"

"Ah, no. She tried to kill me."

"Interesting."

"Yeah."

Nami slapped her forehead in frustration. "This isn't making any sense."

"I defeated her two sisters, and she turned the three girls there back to normal. But they didn't want their backs seen. So I covered them. And then she gave me a ship. But that was after she turned them back to normal. The other girls, I mean. Oh, and before that, I accidentally broke in while she was taking a bath. But later on she explained the stuff. Then she got sick, but she got better. She gave me a loooot of food and made sure I got back here safely. Ah, she was really helpful."

Robin took a sip of her coffee. "I see."

"What do you mean, 'I see', Robin?" Nami huffed. "That still doesn't make any sense!"

"I assume he made a touching gesture of some sort, and Hancock fell in love with him."

"Really? How did you figure that out?"

"He mentioned covering women's backs and turning girls back to normal."

"That... doesn't really explain anything," Nami groaned.

"I'm not surprised," Robin stated, in reference to Hancock's love. "Given everything Luffy has done so far, I wouldn't doubt that there are also many other women infatuated with him." After a brief pause, she added, "And men."

"Yeah..." Nami murmured before quickly changing the subject. "But is that what happened, Luffy? Did you do something touching?"

"I dunno."

Nami sighed. "Of course you don't."

Robin laughed softly. "I find that endearing, actually, that he doesn't view his actions as something touching or important. It seems those moments are simply natural for him, nothing he views as noteworthy," Robin observed. "In fact..." She smiled unabashedly. "If I were younger, I think I'd have quite a crush on our captain."

"Oh, really...?" Nami mumbled uncomfortably, out of necessity rather than actual interest. "Okay."

"Oi, Luffy," Usopp called. "Isn't she the most beautiful woman in the world or something? Why didn't you marry her?"

"Because I didn't love her," Luffy said simply.

"An excellent reason, Luffy-san!" Brook exclaimed enthusiastically. "Even though seeing her panties would have been excellent, as well. Yohohohoho!"

"Oh, that reminds me." Luffy grinned and turned to face his navigator. "Wanna marry me, Nami?"

* * *

**A/N: This fic has just been sitting on my computer for a while. Decided I might as well just upload it. Haven't planned any of this out except for a few lines in the second chapter, and I have no idea where this is going. Guess I'mma be making stuff up as I go. :D ...That's pretty much what I did for this chapter, anyway. I just started with peacefulness and somehow ended up with a proposal. ._.**

**So yeah... Don't expect regular updates. I'll update this whenever I have a new chapter ready. Knowing me, it's probably gonna be a while.**

**Also, if some of y'all have read "Bored", some of the stuff in this chapter might seem familiar. That's because I recycled some stuff from this story.**

**Oh, and seeing as I have no idea how this story is gonna go, I had trouble coming up with a title/summary. :/**

**EDIT: Fixed the tattoo thing. Thanks. :D**

**EDIT 2: This chapter was written a long time ago, and after re-reading, I realized it was really choppy. So, I edited a bunch of parts. Hopefully, I've managed to kind of smooth the writing out a little.**


	2. Waiting

"WHAT THE HELL!? NO!" Nami screeched, angered by her idiotic captain's random proposal.

"You don't just say, 'What the hell, no" when someone asks you to marry them, Nami." Zoro smirked. "It's insensitive."

"Ah, sorry!" Nami bowed regretfully. "It's not you; it's me. You have your whole life ahead of you. I'm not ready for marriage right now. WAIT, WHY AM I APOLOGIZING TO YOU!?"

"Oh, I get it!" Luffy pounded his fist onto the palm of his opposite hand in supposed understanding. "You don't wanna be married... You want to be my girlfriend, instead!"

"Hey, you guys do realize what Luffy's saying, right?" Usopp whispered to the crew members looking on.

Nami, overhearing him, huffed irritatedly, "Luffy's just being the impulsive idiot he always is!"

"Nami," Robin spoke, tone firm. "Think about what Luffy's implying."

Usopp nodded. "Yeah, remember what he said?"

_"Oi, Luffy, isn't she the most beautiful woman in the world or something? Why didn't you marry her?"_

_"Because I didn't love her."_

Nami bit her lip, searching for another explanation, something that made _sense_. She couldn't wrap her head around her captain being in love, much less with her. "He's probably confusing nakama love with romantic love," she said, desperation creeping into her voice.

"Nope," Luffy corrected immediately. "It's not like how I feel about everyone else. It's different."

"It's a... sisterly bond?" she suggested weakly.

"No, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you," Luffy stated.

There. He had outright said it, so casually and without all the fanfare that usually accompanied such a confession.

* * *

Zoro, glancing disinterestedly at Nami, noted her too-low jeans and prominent, barely-concealed chest. "You sure it isn't lust?" he muttered flippantly to himself, out of earshot from the navigator and captain.

"Yes, Nami-san is very attractive," Brook remarked, overhearing him.

Zoro snorted. "Maybe on the outside."

"Well, this is rather interesting," Robin commented.

"Yeah, who would've known?" Usopp said. "I always thought that Luffy being in love was as likely as... I dunno... Zoro falling in love. ...Wait..." Usopp paused, index finger and thumb rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Suddenly, an expression of shock erupted on Usopp's face, and his fingers pointed accusingly at the swordsman.

"ZORO, ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH ROBIN!?"

"WHAT THE _FUCK_?" Zoro choked. "Where the hell did you get that idea!?"

"If Luffy's in love, and the chances are about the same for it happening to you, then..." Usopp trailed off, his implication clear. However, he finished his words with a shrug and stated, "But I guess you're just a loveless man."

"I can fall in love if I want to," Zoro grunted back brusquely. "I just choose not to."

"I don't think love is a conscious decision, Zoro," said Robin.

"It is to me," Zoro shot back.

Robin shrugged, wearing her familiar half-amused smile. "If you say so."

"You two are totally flirting right now," interrupted a voice.

Robin and Zoro turned their head toward the source of the comment: a smug Usopp. His remark earned him a straightfaced look from Robin and an agitated one from Zoro.

"Zoro-san and Robin-san _would_ make a handsome couple," Brook chimed.

"I am not flirting with her," Zoro growled through gritted teeth.

"Yes, Usopp, I don't think you understand what flirting is," Robin added. "Perhaps you're just not very familiar with the concept."

The implications of Robin's comment did not go unnoticed by Usopp, who turned his nose up in exaggerated offense.

"Actually, Robin, I'll have you know: _hundreds_ of girls have thrown themselves at me, the great Captaaain Usopp-sama, so I'm an _expert_ on flirting. In fact, one time, the princess of Syrupia..."

* * *

Meanwhile, as Usopp began one of his tall tales (a romance, as opposed to his usual adventures), Nami stared mutely at Luffy, paling as Luffy's words sunk in. Once she had fully realized what he had said, she refused to believe it, vehemently stammering that it wasn't true.

"W-What? You... with me? In love? But... That's— that's impossible! You're... Luffy!"

Luffy stared back, leaning forward as he countered simply, "It's true."

Nami averted his gaze, examining the elongated brown rings that naturally decorated the wooden deck. She was about to deny his words again, but the words caught in her throat once she looked back up, meeting his piercing brown eyes.

He was serious.

"Be my girlfriend," he said, wearing that intense look that was so familiar to the crew, the one usually reserved for hurt nakama and the villains who wronged them.

Nami sighed, finally accepting the truth. "I can't," she replied softly, voice heavy with sorrow, tinted with uncharacteristic sensitivity. "I'm sorry."

"Ah, that's alright!" Luffy accepted inmediately while flashing his trademark toothy grin, his usual joviality returned. "Maybe next time!"

Nami blinked in surprise at his unaffected reaction and sudden reverse in demeanor.

She returned the smile. "Thanks for understanding, Luffy."

"Yeah, sure," Luffy said distractedly, waving his hand in dismissal as his eyes trailed the path of a stray flying insect.

Nami watched him for a few seconds, registering the newfound information, before turning around to find her and Luffy being gawked at by her fellow crew members. The bystanders quickly turned their heads once they noticed her gaze, pretending to be invested in the clouds in the sky or the texture of the floor.

The navigator raised her finger to say something to the crowd but quickly decided against it, dropping her hand and choosing to escape the awkward atmosphere, instead, by shuffling toward her room, mumbling something about how she was tired and going to bed.

* * *

"Oh, poor Luffy-san," Brook moaned sadly once Nami was out of sight. "My heart hurts for him... Even though I don't have a heart, yohohohoho!"

"Of course she said no; that woman's a heartless witch," Zoro remarked callously. "That idiot should've picked someone else to fall in love with."

"The heart cannot choose who to feel for, Zoro-san. Its love is senseless."

"Bullshit," Zoro dismissed simply, with clear disdain.

"Loveless man," muttered Usopp, under his breath.

"I, too, lack experience in regards to any _real_ romantic feelings." Robin gave a wry smile. "It seems we're all just loveless people."

"Well, Usopp-san has a girl back home, doesn't he?"

"Yeah." "Yes." "I-It's not like that!" Three voices replied at once.

"Ah, I remember my first love. She was absolutely beautiful." A wistful look appeared on Brook's face but quickly perverted into a grin. "Fantastic panties, as well, if I do say so myself."

"She's not my love!" Usopp protested. "And that's gross, why would you tell us that!?"

"Weren't you just telling us a story earlier about how you and that girl fell in love?" Zoro asked Usopp.

"Y-You were actually listening!?" Usopp stammered. "A-And it wasn't about Kaya; I was talking about the Princess of Syrupia!"

"Sounded like Kaya to me, from what I heard," Zoro retorted.

"No, it was just— hey, Robin, why don't you go talk to Nami about Luffy?" Usopp suddenly suggested, in an attempt to change the subject.

Robin raised an eyebrow, fully aware of his intentions for the statement. Nevertheless, she agreed, "Yes, that sounds like a good idea" and headed off to find Nami.

"Oiiii, Usooooopp!" A voice suddenly shouted, and a flash of red rocketed in front of the three men, cheerfully demanding, "Play with me!"

"Huh? Luffy?" Usopp said. "Aren't you... Shouldn't you be... upset?"

"About what?" Luffy asked, his face contorted into an expression of genuine confusion.

Usopp breathed a sharp intake of air, before exhaling slowly. He fiddled with the strap of his overalls. _He doesn't know_, Usopp thought with dread. _He doesn't know that... that..._

"Well, Nami just, ah... Well, she just..." Usopp struggled with his words, finally letting out, "Rejected you."

"Hm? And?" Luffy pressed casually. "It's not like that makes me love her any less."

"Yes, how dare you suggest such a thing, Usopp-san?" Brook chided, looking at Usopp in disapproval.

Usopp responded to the skeleton with a dirty look. "You know that's not what I meant, Brook." He turned to his captain. "Luffy... I don't think you understand. Nami just said that she doesn't want to... you know, _be_ with you." Usopp explained.

"Yeah, I know," Luffy answered simply.

Usopp mouth opened to say something, and then closed again. He seemed at a loss for words, his jaw shifting as he tried to find a way to respond. After a few seconds, Usopp asked, "Aren't you— aren't you _sad_ about that?"

"Nope."

"What? Why not?"

"Because," Luffy said. "I'll wait for her."

"But what if she doesn't _ever_ wanna be with you?" Usopp replied slowly, eyes clouded with sympathy and pity.

"Yeah, Luffy," Zoro concurred, in a rougher, less sensitive tone. "Knowing the witch, that's probably what's gonna happen."

"I love her, and I'll wait for her," Luffy repeated, this time more earnestly.

"That's right, Luffy-san!" The optimistic Brook cheered. "Don't be discouraged!"

"But..." Usopp protested, his cynicism contrasting with Brook. He let out a soft, somber sigh, before trying once again, quietly, "What if... What if she never loves you back?"

The captain crossed his arms, his mouth set in a straight line, his gaze steady.

"She already loves me," Luffy stated matter-of-factly. "I'm just waiting for her to realize it."

* * *

**A/N: What's this!? An update!? Whaaaaaat? I'm almost done with my other story's new chapter, too.**

**Yup, yup. Sophomore year's a lot of work, guys. But hooray for Thanksgiving Break!**

**I feel like the ending is rushed/meh. The description/prose/whatever-the-fuck's probably pretty bleh, too. ...Lacking. That's the word I'm looking for. Too much dialogue. And everything got off-track at times. Plus, the line breaks probably don't make sense.**

**OH WELL, YOLO.**


End file.
